Chapter 24

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“President. Special report.”

Special report.

If the secretary brought it as a special report, there’s only one thing.

It’s about Jin-ho.

“What big news again this time?”

“He said he wants to open an FX market trading account.”

“What?”

Suddenly FX?

“Asking to open that means surely.”

True to being a veteran, President Hwang Dae-woon’s mind turned quickly.

The FX market is the world’s largest financial market.

And the funds Jin-ho currently holds are 250 billion.

If you mishandle operating that all at once in the domestic market, the Financial Supervisory Service comes charging in.

Aren’t even major securities firms scared of the Financial Supervisory Service?

So it seemed Jin-ho was turning his gaze elsewhere.

“Goodness. He could just rest.”

If you’ve grown 50 billion to 250 billion, no one would say anything even resting all year. But this Jin-ho kid is really consistent.

The person is like a pine tree.

In the guild too, he meticulously cared and managed with affection.

That’s why guild members made a fuss every time Jin-ho didn’t log in.

Same here.

He never just rests.

Like in games, he always wanders looking for something.

In his words, looking for dopamine sources or whatever.

“But if it’s FX, is he planning to put it in long-term?”

Why did so much money gather in the foreign exchange market?

It’s because many places put money in long-term.

It’s true FX is a very good market for day trading too.

Usually stock markets close for certain hours, but the foreign exchange market runs 24 hours.

That’s why at Gwangwoon Securities too, there’s a separate FX department, trading by rotating traders 24 hours.

Isn’t prop traders’ goal to eat even 0.1% per day?

Regrettably, the foreign exchange market’s volatility averages around 1 to 2% per day, so it’s hard to expect tremendous profits.

“But I don’t think he’ll pull leverage with 250 billion.”

Maybe with 25 billion.

To pull leverage with 250 billion requires a prime broker, and they wouldn’t easily lend trillion-unit money.

Plus thinking about preparing margin makes me dizzy.

“How many days to open this account?”

“Yes. If we expedite as much as possible, we can move up the timeline.”

“Good. Then let’s try to open it within two days. And call the executives. There’s something to discuss.”

“Yes sir.”

Jin-ho keeps trying to move forward, but practical problems were blocking the way.

Then as the president supporting from behind, as guild master, shouldn’t I help him move forward without obstruction?

Seems I need to create the strongest team in Gwangwoon Securities history, operating centered only on Jeong Jin-ho.

“Oh. Team Leader. You came back quickly?”

“Ah, yes. Fortunately the discussion ended well. The department head said he’ll open the account as quickly as possible. Did you finish buying?”

“Yes. We did as instructed. We split purchases to affect prices minimally.”

“Good work. Then let’s standby for now.”

I entered the team leader’s office and sat down.

Then Deputy Lee Hye-rin came in with steaming coffee.

“Team Leader. Fighting today too.”

“Yes. You too, Deputy.”

I leisurely sipped morning coffee like that.

Right now other teams are diligently clicking keyboards and mice repeating buys and sells the moment the market opened, but our team was quietly just watching screens.

‘Greece and our country have a 7-hour time difference.’

There it’s currently dawn hours.

Also, for Greece to really burst a default, we have to wait until the repayment date, and some time remained.

‘Did we enter too early?’

What if defying my prediction, the default doesn’t burst?

No. I decided not to think such thoughts.

Because my intuition has never once been wrong until now.

Though wavering hearts can’t be helped being human.

I’ve improved much compared to before.

‘Then we might need to watch for at least several days.’

Greece might probably ask for more time and extend the repayment date more.

Then until then, we’d have nothing to do with no changes.

“Shall I study?”

I took out an investment book I bought for studying.

The book called investors’ bible.

The Intelligent Investor.

This book’s author is Benjamin Graham called the father of value investors, and he emphasizes to us.

[Look at company value.]

[Pursue only value rather than immediate prices.]

And what he emphasizes most there was.

[Don’t be swayed by short-term market volatility.]

[Short-term investment is speculation.]

In other words, meaning don’t do short-term investment.

“..”

This strangely guilty feeling.

I understand what this book wants to say.

That it’s good to look at company value and do long-term investment, but the problem is in our country, even if company value is good, prices can’t follow.

Because our country’s KOSPI is focused on short-term profits rather than long-term profits.

“I also know value investment is good but.”

Having to hold that stock for 10 years, 20 years, up to 30 years if much!

I shook my head.

I didn’t think I could do that.

Because what I pursue isn’t value investment that all big shot investors talk about, but dopamine investment.

Even the prop trade department hates value investment.

“Still, time flew.”

Already time passed 12 o’clock.

We have nothing to do anyway, shall I suggest going to eat?

Usually almost no traders eat properly at this time, but our situation is different.

“Then before going out, lastly.”

Before leaving the team leader’s office, I roughly checked stocks we’d purchased.

No way signals would come now, but just in case, let me check. Ouch, it stings!

I momentarily let go of the mouse at the intensely coming signal.

‘Why is the signal coming now?’

Aren’t Greek people sleeping?

The office is especially cold today.

Not because the actual temperature is cold, but because team members were nervous.

A whopping 250 billion.

Losing even 1% there is 2.5 billion.

An amount where the sum prop traders usually handle flies away at once.

“But what if both shorts and longs go wrong and 10% flies away, that’s 25 billion!”

“Be quiet, Deputy An.”

“Sorry. I was nervous.”

“I told you prop traders need to strengthen mental strength.”

“But in this situation right now, wouldn’t anyone be nervous?”

It was so good until closing positions and having dinner.

But opening eyes, we dropped back into the battlefield with bullets fully prepared.

“In times like that, look at our Team Leader.”

Everyone looked at the team leader beyond the glass wall at once.

Sitting nobly reading a book.

An investment book at that!

“Wow. Even such a person studies investment. He must know everything.”

“There’s such a saying. Humility is learning. He’s endlessly learning.”

“I threw 250 billion into the market, so words won’t enter my eyes.”

“That’s exactly the true form of a leader, right? If the person above also trembles like us. Then everything goes to ruin.”

But they also knew.

That for something to burst now, it’s at least after the market closes.

“Greek people are dawn time now. Whether they default or confess, time remains.”

“Hmm. Then shall we do something else?”

“We should. Everyone read investment books like the Team Leader. Even such a person is studying.”

Right then.

Suddenly noisy sounds were heard here and there.

“What. Is this real?”

“No. These crazy guys really burst it?”

Wondering what happened from other team members’ sounds.

As expected.

“Section Chief! Not Greece, but IMF released a statement!?”

As the repayment date approached, IMF made a proposal to the Greek government to first extend the repayment date.

But what returned was the Greek government’s refusal.

They had no intention of repaying money.

“Really burst. Greece default.”

“Crazy bastards.”

This time too, exactly as Team Leader Jeong Jin-ho said, no, as prophesied.

“Everyone.”

Then a sacred voice heard from behind made them turn heads.

“It’s time for everyone to work.”

KRX has a separate Market Surveillance Committee.

A surveillance system for fair and transparent domestic stock market trading.

Here they first filter what to filter through surveillance.

Yet sometimes signs that really seem problematic appear.

Then it goes to the next stage.

“Team Leader. A cooperative surveillance request just came from KRX.”

Exactly the Special Investigation Division at the Financial Supervisory Service.

Because so many try to strip the domestic market, Korea has a very tight surveillance system compared to other countries.

Though stock market growth is completely suppressed because of this, the number of people taking damage decreases accordingly.

“Which side?”

“It’s Gwangwoon Securities.”

“Gwangwoon Securities again?”

Gwangwoon Securities.

It became a focused surveillance target from China shock.

Should I say the only place that made profits in this disaster?

That’s why there’s talk of insider trading, but the problem was they couldn’t pin insider trading on the Chinese government announcing regulations.

Still, after pulling all the money out, things seemed to quiet down.

The guys moved again this morning.

“They can’t all-in 250 billion into one, so seems they distributed maximally.”

“They did split it, but quite large amounts entered each stock.”

“Right. Makes sense for KRX to request.”

But directly warning.

It wasn’t an amount to impose sanctions.

If market disruption is certain, the Financial Supervisory Service could step up and slam trading suspension.

“Seems they’re riding the line dangerously.”

Really ambiguous amounts.

They miraculously matched and put in quantities just not crossing the line.

Seems like team-unit movement, curious who the team leader here is.

Is it someone well-versed about the Financial Supervisory Service?

Even veterans can’t easily match quantities precisely.

“But actually there’s no movement.”

They put money in and are quiet.

Usually guys trying to manipulate stock prices attempt pumping and raise prices wildly, but here they split purchases to minimize shock.

But can’t be relieved.

Because they might suddenly slam selling before the market closes and drop prices straight.

“Huh? Team Leader. They’re moving.”

Then after some time passed.

Finally the guys started moving again.

The problem is it’s not only them moving.

“Hmm. Greece really caused an accident.”

Right now the entire market was shaking from IMF’s announcement.

Following China shock, Greece’s default!

From psychological contraction, somewhere they’re throwing volume, somewhere they’re buying volume.

“..”

Team Leader Yu Sang-gu observed that disruption-like Gwangwoon Securities’ movements.

As Greece default became a fait accompli, certain stocks rose and certain stocks fell.

But is this coincidence?

“Only here is making profits?”

Longs where it rises, shorts where it falls.

The positions they’d been holding since morning were correct.

What would that mean?

“They knew the default would burst today.”

But China followed by Greece?

Exactly how good is this place’s information network?

Just looking at movements of our country’s largest securities firms, seems they didn’t know at all.

“They’re even day trading by putting money in and out right now?”

More ridiculous, the guys aren’t stopping here but repeating buys and sells, swimming in these surging waves.

They were continuously walking dangerous lines while trading at exquisite timing.

Exclamations came out at that sharp skill.

Anyone could see this wasn’t individual team member movements.

Clearly someone is controlling everyone from the head.

With magic-like skill at that.

“Exactly who is the conductor here?”

Before entering full-scale trading.

I assigned portions to each team member.

For us to day trade, hands and feet must match perfectly, but I can’t run out of the team leader’s office every buy/sell timing to command.

“..”

At first I thought to just send messages.

But after IMF’s announcement came out, when I left the team leader’s office and stood before team members.

Suddenly the signal came.

In the direction I was looking.

So I approached Deputy Lee Hye-rin and instructed her to dump the volume she was holding.

Then profits came from there.

Just in case, while walking around team members.

When I turned direction to a specific seat, the feeling came again.

This time it was Section Chief Seo’s side.

“Section Chief. Dump it.”

“Ah, yes!”

Giving that instruction and about to turn around, the back of my neck tingled up.

“Section Chief.”

“Ah, yes. I’m dumping now.”

“Buy again.”

“What?”

“Quickly.”

“Ah. Yes!”

I busily walked around the office.

“Deputy An. Buy now.”

“Yes!”

Team members tensed when they saw me approaching, then when orders dropped, they pounded keyboards and mice wildly.

Somehow feels like running a raid after a long time. There too, the raid leader gives real-time instructions to raid members at each specific pattern. Like vividly experiencing that.

“Deputy An. Buy again.”

“What? I-I just sold.”

When Deputy An hesitated, the section chief’s rebuke dropped.

“Deputy An! I said discard ego!”

“Ah, yes! Eek! S-sorry. I pressed the wrong button.!”

A raid member making mistakes from tension appearing was also the same.

“It’s okay. Do it without pressure. We can earn it back.”

“Ugh. Sorry!”

Like that, we engaged in the raid, no, trading with the heart of catching a boss called return rate.

“Phew. Finally!”

If there’s a beginning, there’s always an end.

After the market closed, sweat beaded on my forehead and my back was soaked.

“G-good work.”

“Ugh. I was so tense, my neck and shoulders are completely knotted.”

“Me too.”

Such crazy trading was a first in life.

Tens of billions, hundreds of billions came and went at once, and we just clicked trading following the Team Leader’s instructions.

When the Team Leader approached making footstep sounds, our whole bodies tensed and felt like they’d freeze solid. And the moment instructions dropped, we couldn’t be late even 1 second so we moved as quickly as possible.

But maybe because we tensed too much.

Mistakes came out occasionally, but the Team Leader leniently passed over.

With a relaxed voice saying we can earn it again.

Thanks to that, tension released a bit.

“My strength completely drained from head to toe.”

“Is this because I’m too soaked in dopamine, or just adrenaline exploding crazily?”

“Ugh. My heart hurts from chest fluttering worrying I’d make mistakes.”

We were nervous, but has dopamine ever risen to the top of our heads this much in life?

Day trading done with a whopping 250 billion.

That’s why even after the market closed, hands were trembling finely.

“How much did we earn? Did we earn 5%?”

“What 5%. 35%.”

“Eek! 35%?! No. In that short time!?”

“Really?”

We just followed the team leader’s instructions and moved our hands.

We made a whopping 90 billion profit with 250 billion.

“Wow. Really doesn’t make sense. No. It really doesn’t make sense. 35% with day trading.”

“Does he really see the future? Exactly what basis makes judgments? I still don’t know.”

“Making lots of profit is really good but. All energy drained so I can’t even move a finger.”

This level of stamina depletion was a first in prop trader life.

It’s not like we did tremendous exercise.

We just clicked.

“By the way.”

Then the Team Leader appeared from behind.

He was pressing his temples hard as if his head hurt a bit.

“The FX market is open 24 hours, right?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Why suddenly that?

An uneasy thought attacked.

“Then when our account opens, we can do it later than now, right?”

“What? That. Right?”

“Oh.”

The Team Leader nodded with a satisfied expression and entered the team leader’s office.

“Did he just say ‘Oh’?”

“Seems extremely happy.”

“Th-then we’re worked 24 hours from now?”

“Gasp.”